13 Essential SEO Writing Tips to Make Your Blog Posts Rank on Google

In business, reputation is everything. It can decide whether someone gives you their attention or, even more significantly, their sale.

However, with more than 5 billion people worldwide using social media to produce a constant flow of information, interaction, and opinions across dozens of platforms, reputations are harder than ever to maintain. That’s why free social listening tools are so important.

In this article, we’ll talk through why social media monitoring matters to marketers and test out five of the most popular social media listening tools out there.

Table of Contents

• • Free Social Media Monitoring Tools
  • What is social media monitoring?
  • Why use a social media monitoring tool?
  • Pro Tip: Use Social Inbox Streams In HubSpot

What is social media monitoring?

Social media monitoring, sometimes referred to as social media “listening,” is the practice of examining what social media users say about a specific topic.

For marketers, this topic is usually a brand, competitor, product, service, or even campaign.

With so many different platforms today, social media monitoring can take many forms. It could mean tracking specific:

• Keywords (could be your industry, product type, the problem you solve)
• Hashtags
• Users (think influencers, your loyal customers, or “power users”)
• Names (i.e., competitors, products, or even people), or
• Mentions/tags of a user

It can also take place directly on the platforms themselves or in third-party tools, which we’ll discuss shortly. For instance, back in my agency heyday, I used to have about 25 streams I would track in HubSpot with client competitors and handles.

Depending on your brand and goal, social media listening can also offer all kinds of different insights to shape your strategy.

It can help you navigate public relations crises, develop new products, evaluate your customer satisfaction, and even discover new markets or marketing trends.

What trends are we seeing when it comes to social media in general? Our 2024 Social Trends Report shares exclusive findings on how people engage across social personally and professionally. Get it free now.

For example, let’s say you’re a software company and see people talk about how bad your customer service is on social media.

That lets you know you need to make improvements, which could mean introducing a live chat on your website or sharing more troubleshooting or educational content on your social media content calendar, among other things.

Or what if you’re a clothing brand that sees an influencer, and your audience loves talking about their favorite trends? Knowing this may help you identify similar styles in your catalog to highlight and promote or even inspire a new design.

The impact is pretty wide, but it all starts from the same place — keeping tabs on the market around you with social media listening. So, don’t slack on making it a part of your social media strategy.

Dig deeper into social media listening specifically and how it works.

Why use a social media monitoring tool?

As a business or brand, it’s critical to know what’s happening around you at all times. I mean, this is the environment you’re conducting business in, and all of these factors can affect your ultimate performance.

That means you need to keep track of not just what people (like your competitors, buyers, and the press) are saying about you but also their general feelings, interests, concerns, and activities.

Social media is one of the most effective ways to collect this value insight, unfiltered and usually free, and then act accordingly. In other words, it helps you know what’s going on and being said so you can respond effectively.

With so many social media platforms today, monitoring and listening by manually checking a newsfeed or searching through posts is not scalable.

Thankfully, there are numerous social media monitoring and management tools available that can curate conversations for you and make it easier to engage with or analyze what to do.

I tested out five of the most popular for you.

Now, I have to be completely honest. I’ve been in this space for over a decade, and a lot of my go-to free social media listening tools are no longer free or even in existence. Bummer, I know.

I guess many caught wind of just how important social media listening is to businesses and figured they shouldn’t just be giving it away, while maybe others couldn’t keep up with changing permission and API updates.

Lots of newer social media channels are also much harder to track. (Most tools can only pull from those using RSS feeds.) But, hey, all is not lost.

If you’re strapped for cash or simply trying to cut costs, there are still a few small and mighty options you can combine to get started with social media listening for free.

I tested a few of them out for you, along with some tried-and-true paid options that offer free trials. Here’s what I gathered.

1. BrandMentions

BrandMentions, as the name implies, is purely dedicated to social listening. And, honestly, that’s probably why it’s so good.

While the full tool is subscription-based (with a 7-day trial), it does offer a host of free trackers you can use ad-hoc and get a ton of value:

• Social Mentions
• Hashtag Tracker
• Brand Tracker
• Social Media Tracker

I tried each one, and they are all extremely easy and intuitive to use. Simply enter the hashtag, keyword, brand name, or handle you want to track, and BrandMentions works its magic.

Yes, the data is limited to the past week, and insights like “sentiment over time” or “Top influencers” are only available with a paid plan, but the information you get is still impressive.

Check out what it gave me using HubSpot as an example.

Social Mentions

Hashtag Tracker

Brand Tracker

Social Media Tracker

Believe it or not, all of these examples are just what I could see above the fold in the reports I ran. There was way too much to show in this article. As I scrolled, BrandMentions went into specifics like:

• Reach
• Social Media Interactions
• Mentions by Media Type
• Best Time to Post

It even pulls a feed of existing media about the given keyword.

Truthfully, the results of each tool are pretty similar, so you can really just use one for all your needs. Nevertheless, I was super impressed and will be coming back to this one in the future.

What I like: BrandMentions is solely focused on social media listening. Because of that, all of the information shared is valuable and relevant. It’s also an extremely easy-to-use and navigate tool. Plus, the interface is modern, bright, and engaging.

What can be improved: No complaints!

2. TailWind

Tailwind is a social media management tool designed specifically for Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook Pages. It allows users to schedule posts (Images, Videos, & Stories), send emails, and get useful insights from each platform.

Need help in these areas? Give these resources a read:

• How to Use Instagram: A Beginner’s Guide [Expert Insights + New Data]
• The Ultimate Guide to Pinterest Marketing

While it doesn’t track specific hashtags or accounts, it does track the performance of the posts you publish, their engagement, and direct mentions of your brand.

Upon testing, I saw it also let me monitor my overall profile growth for Instagram.

For Pinterest, I could see details like:

• How often your content is pinned
• Your reach
• Recommended keywords
• Brand mentions and comments
• Your most pinned, most clicked, or most engaged content

All of these are fairly basic insights, but if you’re highly active on Instagram and Pinterest (like an ecommerce brand, for instance), it is convenient to have all of that information in one place.

What I like: TailWind is convenient for businesses using Pinterest and Instagram. Not only do you get insights on the platforms, but also design graphics and schedule posts for them.

What can be improved: I consider myself pretty tech-savvy, but I still found the interface cluttered and confusing. For example, instinct told me “create” was where I would go to create a new post for my social accounts, but this was actually TailWind’s design tool.

Because of this, the tool definitely comes with a learning curve.

Also, the tool doesn’t focus on social media listening, which leaves a lot to be desired — especially compared to BrandMentions.

While it does offer basic information on post performance, it does not allow users to gather information on competitors or track keywords and hashtags.

3. TalkWalker

Like BrandMentions, TalkWalker (by Hootsuite) is a typically paid platform that offers two free social media listening tools:

• Alerts
• Free Social Search

According to the Social Intelligence Lab’s State of Social Listening, it’s also the third most widely used social media listening tool in 2024.

Alerts

TalkWalker Alerts are similar to Google Alerts. However, unlike Google Alerts, which require a Gmail account, TalkWalker can be sent to any email address. It can also send alerts for mentions of your topic or keyword on X (still listed as Twitter on the tool).

Google Alerts don’t track social media.

In my test, I learned I could receive alerts instantly or once a week/day and choose to receive all of the results or what the tool curates as the “best” ones.

For brands that are active on X, this is an extremely useful tool to have in your arsenal. I mean, most of us check our email multiple times a day, right? With this, you can know exactly what’s happening with your competitor, brand, partners, etc., without leaving your inbox.

What I like: You can use any email address. This makes the tool more accessible than Google Alerts. It’s also great that it includes X.

What can be improved: I know this may be out of their hands, but to be truly valuable for social media listening, the tool needs to include more than just X.

But hey, what if you want to know what’s happening on other platforms besides X? That’s where TalkWalker’s Free Social Search comes in.

Free Social Search

Social Search claims to monitor “every conversation about your brand, hashtags, and competition on social media” but doesn’t specify what platforms that includes.

Right off the bat, I was a little skeptical. The website’s design was minimal and a bit dated, but Hootsuite is a trusted name in the marketing space, so I figured it had to be good.

That said, they didn’t make getting started easy. First, I had to fill out a form on the website and wait for an email to arrive from the tool. From there, I had to create an account on the Talkwalker web app, which showed me the search when I logged in.

As frustrating as this was, when I finally got into the search, I have to say it was pretty robust. Once again, I used HubSpot as an example, and Talkwalker immediately showed me some essential brand reputation metrics, such as “net sentiment.”

But it didn’t stop there. As I clicked around, I discovered it also shared word clouds with “top themes” including user handles, hashtags, and even emojis.

I can see this feature being really helpful when searching for more general topics like “marketing software.”

When I popped that into a new search, TalkWalker showed me this cloud of users who mentioned the topic most. Then, I could click on each handle to see more details about them and see specific posts.

Pro tip: Make sure to filter by your target country and language. Otherwise, you’ll be clouded with irrelevant results.

It also had tabs with insights on Influencers, audience demographics, location, and a feed of actual posts from social media.

What I like: For a free tool, social search offers a lot of interesting and intricate details for marketers to understand their performance and who’s talking about their topic of interest.

What could be improved: Full disclosure — Many results look spammy. While the filters for language, country, media type, device, and demographic are helpful, it would be useful to be able to also add criteria for follower count.

4. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is one of the most trusted social media management tools on the market and with good reason. It’s easy to use and navigate and extremely robust.

Of course that means it covers social media listening, but you can only enjoy it for free for 30 days. After that, it starts at $199 a month.

I gave the trial a go, which I was pleasantly surprised you could do without inputting a credit card, and I saw right away that it has a lot to offer marketers regarding social media listening.

Three main areas stuck out to me. The first was “smart inbox.” This shows you all the engagement on your brand’s specific accounts, like comments, direct messages, reposts, and even your published posts. From here, you can:

• Respond
• Share the message with your team via email or a thread
• Tag it to make it easier to find later
• Export or save the message

You can also filter all activity by platform, message type, tags, and even language.

The next section that caught my attention was “listening.” (Surprise, surprise.)

This is where you can find all the juicy social listening tools like:

• Brand health
• Industry insights
• Competitive analysis
• Campaign analysis
• Event monitoring and
• Keyword and topic tracking

I have to say once I clicked into a few of these options, I felt a little over my head. For example, when I clicked “competitive analysis,” I was taken to an intricate “query builder” to tell the tool what I wanted to see. And what I mean exactly what I wanted to see.

Don’t get me wrong — the information it was asking for (e.g., source, alert type, etc.) wasn’t out of the ordinary, but I just wasn’t expecting it. This tool got more granular than any other tool I tested, and I wasn’t prepared at the moment to dedicate so much time to setting up a query.

I’m sure that attention to detail is rewarded in the results, but that’s certainly something to keep in mind.

The last section relevant to social media listening was “reports.” This section offers some common reports on post, profile, and tag performance but also lets you explore content and strategy more deeply.

The competitor options even let you see how you stack up to your rivals on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

What I like: The tool is well-organized, easy to navigate, and intuitive. I also liked how detailed you could get with your targeting and tracking. While time-consuming, this was more specific than any other tool I tried, and I’m sure it shows in the results.

What could be improved: With the volume of features in Sprout Social — even just for social media listening – there’s a lot to learn and maneuver.

I imagine learning to use the platform successfully takes time, practice, and perhaps guidance. Also, at its premium price, it demands a lot of resources from a business. If you’re only looking for social media listening, there’s no need to spring for such a full suite.

5. BuzzSumo

While it is not free (it starts at $199 per month), I’d be remiss if I talked about social listening and didn’t mention BuzzSumo.

BuzzSumo is a content analysis tool that has a lot to offer marketers, in general. But where it shines for social media listening is in its ability to track and monitor your competitors, brand mentions, trends, and industry updates across Facebook, X, Pinterest, and Reddit.

In my agency days, it was one of my favorite tools for evaluating “shareability,” but it’s been a while, so I gave their 7-day trial a go. (No credit card required.)

It’s monitoring section is hugely valuable for social media listening.

Here, you can create an alert for things like brand names, your competitors, and specific keywords.

I really liked that I also had the ability to create an exclusion keyword list and send the alerts to a Slack channel as well as email. Once you create an alert, you’ll also be able to track the keyword in the web app like I could with “marketing software.”

What I like: Like Sprout Social, it has much to offer, but it’s a much easier tool to jump right into.

What could be improved: I’d love to see social media listening pulled out more distinctly so you can dive into each platform more specifically and gather insights about what’s going on there. While there are social listening tools, it’s clear that these tools are focused on helping marketers hone their content strategy.

Pro Tip: Use Social Inbox Streams In HubSpot

Now, if you’re a HubSpot Professional or Enterprise user, you’ve already got an awesome social media listening tool at your disposal. Lucky you.

All you need to do is navigate to Social, then hit the “Monitor” tab.

Here, you can easily create streams in your HubSpot portal that can track the following:

• Mentions and reposts (on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X)
• Specific keywords (on X)
• Competitors (across their social media using information gathered from their website)

You’ll also receive email alerts, so you never miss a beat.

(Social) Listen and Learn

Social listening is no easy feat these days. Between data privacy concerns and navigating channel differences it takes time, effort, and consistency.

Frankly, you may need several of the social media listening tools we shared to get a full picture of what’s going on with your brand, competitors, and market overall. But rest assured, it will be well worth it.

Whether you’re trying to gauge consumer sentiment about your brand, navigate a public relations snafu, or plan your next big product launch, social listening is certainly one tactic you’ll be happy to include in your strategy.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in December 2011 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Like most of you, I have fallen down countless rabbit holes in Google searches. “How to make a latte?” turns into “Latte vs. americano?” which turns into “How bad is caffeine for you?” and ends with “Coffee alternatives.”

Often, though, I’ve found myself frustrated by how many times I have to reword the same query in traditional search engines to nudge the browser to comprehend what I’m asking.

Not to mention how exasperating it is to scroll through unrelated sponsored ads before getting to the meat of my search.

Enter AI-generated search engines.

Table of Contents

• • What are AI search engines?
  • How I Test AI Search Engines
  • 7 Best AI Search Engines

What are AI search engines?

AI search engines are search engines that use some combination of web crawlers, innate artificial intelligence, and user data to improve users’ search experiences and provide more pertinent responses. They have become some of the top search engines today due to their intuitiveness.

You’ll find less of a need to clarify your query with AI search engines because they are built to better understand human intent. And, your responses will often be summed up in AI-generated copy with cited sources, rather than forcing you to click through several URLs to check their relevance.

Want to improve your company’s performance in today’s search landscape? Our new AI Search Grader takes your site and summarizes how your company will perform in AI search. The tool then recommends how you can perform your performance.

How I Test AI Search Engines

Since all these tools have the same purpose — answering your question by scouring the web for suitable sources and links that can be combined with innate AI knowledge or chat capabilities to provide the most accurate answer — it was easy for me to test them all in the same way.

I simply used the same two questions across every AI search engine and measured the success of the search engine by how it answered the questions. One being more of a straightforward, factual question and the other a broader question. Below are the seven best options from my research.

7 Best AI Search Engines

1. Perplexity

I kicked off with Perplexity, which has been all the rage lately. There’s a lot to know about this search engine, but most importantly, many are admitting Perplexity has replaced Google in their lives.

It’s like a mix of ChatGPT and Google. Meaning that it can answer your questions in a human-like manner, but it pulls its facts from a quick search of all the articles available, rather than having an innate knowledge base.

I started with my straightforward question: What’s the biggest city in America? The first thing I noted was that Perplexity has a very similar interface to ChatGPT since it uses OpenAI’s language models.

Outside of the sources linked at the top and referred to throughout the answer, Perplexity also shares relevant images on the right-hand side, with an option to search videos or generate images.

After this search result, I tested out a more thought-provoking question. I wanted to gauge how AI search engines perform when asked a question that doesn’t have a specific, singular answer. I asked, “How do I become a better blog writer?”

What I Like

• ChatGPT users like myself will appreciate that Perplexity’s interface is familiar, as it eases the transition period.
• Unlike ChatGPT, though, Perplexity promises answers that are always correct and cited from many sources, including academic research and Reddit threads.
• Perplexity links to several references at the top and cites sources throughout its response. Decades of English and History teachers drilling into me to cite my sources in papers have helped me develop an appreciation for this kind of verification.
• The visual sources are helpful for those who prefer Google Image and Video results over Web results.
• At the bottom of your response, you will find a section called “Keep exploring,” where Perplexity suggests similar questions that you can automatically search and get an AI-generated response. For someone like me, who typically has dozens of tabs open when researching a single topic, this feature would keep all my research in one place.

What Needs Improvement

• Honestly, nothing. I have already started using this in place of my usual relentless Google searching.

Pricing

• Standard plan: Free
• Professional plan: $20/month

2. Google Gemini

Gemini, formerly known as Bard, is Google’s AI chatbot, and it may be attractive to those who have grown accustomed to Google’s many revolutionary products.

Some may have noticed that Google has incorporated an “AI Overview” into some of its search results. Still, Gemini is a separate tool that can be used for specifically AI-generated responses.

In my first question test, I noted how quickly Gemini pulled up an answer, and how short it was.

In comparison, I noticed a huge difference in the results for my second question. It’s clear Gemini answers questions very differently based on how direct or abstract they are.

What I Like

• Gemini’s design is aesthetically pleasing, and I like that the homepage opened up with a message stating, “Hello, Swetha” which showcases its humanity and personalization.
• Gemini answered my first question, “What’s the biggest city in America?” as short and sweet as I had hoped for. I appreciate that it didn’t try to give me any unnecessary information.
• It has a “Double-check response” feature, in which you can have Google perform a secondary search of your question to ensure its accuracy.

What Needs Improvement

• Gemini provides text-only responses, which is very dissimilar from Google’s image, video, and news results, so it surprised me.
• The search engine has a disclaimer at the bottom, stating, “Gemini may display inaccurate info, including about people, so double-check its responses.” While I appreciate the honesty, it doesn’t hold up against Perplexity, which promises complete accuracy.
• At the bottom of your search results is a “Search related topics” feature, which is helpful if you want to keep your research going. However, these take you out of Gemini and back into Google, which I saw as a sign that Gemini hasn’t been fully flushed out yet and still relies on Google.

Pricing

• Free of charge plan: $0
• Pay-as-you-go plan: Price varies based on a cost-per-token model.

3. Brave Search

Brave Search is a search engine that boasts security and privacy while browsing the internet. It does this by not tracking users or their queries. Brave Search can’t share or sell personal data because it never gets collected.

Thus, it already proves beneficial to those who may work on public computers or networks. But, recently, Brave Search introduced a privacy-focused AI answer engine to put it in the running against other AI search engines on this list.

I dove into my first test question to see how Brave held up against Perplexity and Gemini.

Brave Search resembles Google and other classic search engines since that’s what it inherently is. In this way, it may be more attractive for search engine traditionalists wary about trying out a brand-spanking new AI tool.

After this, I tested out my second question on the search engine and was met with a similar look and style of response.

What I Like

• Brave Search is incredibly conventional in appearance, which I actually appreciated. I’m so used to Google’s interface when searching random queries, and it’s helpful that Brave Search is modeled similarly.
• The emphasis on privacy and security is essential. There’s nothing more frustrating than when you mean to search something on Incognito mode and forget, or when you desperately want to avoid being served dozens of ads about Bali just because, one time, you searched “flights to Bali.”
• Brave Search shows you “Context,” in which it links to all its references. I like that these are all at the bottom of your search result, so they don’t distract from your reading experience.
• If you like Brave Search, you can make Brave your default browser.

What Needs Improvement

I searched normally and with the “Answer with AI” feature for both questions and received identical search results in both modes. This doesn’t exactly encourage people to use the AI feature if they feel their results will be the same.

Pricing

• Data for AI plans:

• Free plan: $0
• Base plan: $5 CPM
• Pro plan: $9 CPM

• Data for Search plans:

• Free plan: $0
• Base plan: $3 CPM
• Pro plan: $5 CPM

• Data w/storage rights plans:

• Base plan: $26 CPM
• Pro plan: $45 CPM

• Autosuggest and Spellcheck plans:

• Free plan: $0
• Pro plan: $0.50 CPM

4. Microsoft Copilot

Microsoft Copilot is an AI companion tool specifically meant to be paired with Microsoft 365 apps, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

It reminds me a lot of ChatSpot, HubSpot’s chatbot and AI Assistant, in that it is best used when paired with our own products.

Copilot seamlessly integrates into Microsoft 365 apps to help with the most appropriate tasks, from writing thought-starters in Word to design help in PowerPoint to email inbox efficiency in Outlook.

Copilot also has a web version that functions similarly to Perplexity. You enter a question, and it curates a response by scouring the web for references.

In my second search, Copilot included a lengthier response with a relevant video that auto-played at the bottom of the page.

What I Like

• Copilot is, first and foremost, a companion for Microsoft 365. I use Outlook every day, so the idea of an AI tool that is both a search engine and a match to my existing apps is exciting.
• The Copilot web interface is beautiful and inviting, with its sleek white background, colorful logo, and generated artwork.
• The sources are linked but don’t pull away my attention. I like that they appear as short URLs, and I can hover over the URLs to see the full article name.
• It didn’t overwhelm me with tons of images and videos but instead shared one relevant video to coincide with its text-based search results.

What Needs Improvement

• Compared to other search engines I tested, I didn’t think the search results for my second question were as thorough or informative.
• Being a search engine is not Copilot’s primary or best feature, so it can’t necessarily be as trusted as other tools on this list.

Pricing

• Web-only plan: Free
• Copilot for Microsoft 365 plan: $30/user/month

5. Komo

Komo is another AI search engine with a clean UI that pumps out detailed search results. It resembles Perplexity in its ease of use and reference to factual source information.

Komo has options to Ask, Search, Research, or Explore anything. Toggling to each of these four modes changes the format of your responses. I tested this out with my first question, searching it in all four modes.

For my second question, I tested it in “Ask” mode only.

What I Like

• Komo’s four search modes allow you to easily search any type of query. I like that the language in each version also differs. I preferred the concise language in “Ask” mode, but academics might prefer “Research” mode, for instance.
• Search results reference several sources, which shows the importance of fact-checking and knowledge to the search engine.
• The “Opinions” feature links to an endless stream of useful links, no matter how simple or complex the prompt may be.
• The “Learn More” feature lists follow-up questions to continue your search.

What Needs Improvement

• Searching in “Research” mode is very limited in the free version, with a strict once-daily limit. This mode is very unique to Komo and would be ideal if made more available to free users.

Pricing

• Free plan: $0
• Basic plan: $8/month
• Premium plan: $15/month
• Business plan: Contact the Komo team for pricing.

6. You.com

You.com, aptly named for how it can be personalized for how you best want to use it, is an AI search engine with four AI assistants and the ability to explore 16 AI models.

Clicking “More” above opens you up to the sheer number of assistants and models you can try out with You.com. You can see a snapshot of some of the AI models below.

Like Komo, you can search various queries in each AI assistant based on the prompt type. For instance, Smart Assistant is for any questions, Research Assistant is for topics requiring deep analyses and explorations, and Genius Assistant is for multi-step problems.

I used Smart Assistant to ask my first question since it’s simpler and more direct.

I used Research Assistant for my second question since it’s a bit more complex and can be explored more deeply.

What I Like

• You.com’s four AI Assistants are extremely intuitive and understand their specific search mode well. It makes perfect sense what kinds of questions, topics, and prompts to search in each of the four Assistants.
• This is the right option for any dedicated AI fanatics, as you can explore most industry-leading AI models in one place.
• The Research Assistant is my favorite feature. I love that You.com shows exactly where it’s searching for the information, which offers me more understanding and patience while waiting for my search results to load.
• I found my search results for “How do I become a better blog writer?” to be the most detailed and informative on this search engine.

What Needs Improvement

• It’s not as intuitive for new users. With so many modes, Assistants, and models, it may take some time to figure out your groove and your preferred searching methods.
• You only get three free premium queries per day, which includes any searches outside of Smart Assistant.

Pricing

• Free plan: $0
• YouPro plan: $20/month (or $15/month when billed annually)
• Organizations plan: Contact the You.com team for pricing.

7. Yep

SEO Tool Ahrefs launched Yep, an AI search engine that mimics the format of a standard search engine with a unique, funky look and coloring.

What sets Yep apart is that it shares 90% of its ad revenue with content creators in an effort to support high-quality content. Yep offers an unbiased, private search experience that encourages and financially supports the minds behind the content.

Outside of its positive mission, Yep looks and feels similar to Google when conducting searches. You can search any query and filter by All results, Images, or News.

You can also use the “Chat” feature on the top right-hand side if you’d prefer an AI-generated response.

I searched my second question to see how it fared on Yep.

What I Like

• Yep is the most like a traditional browser, but without any ads. I’m so used to scrolling through sponsored URLs on Google, that it’s refreshing to only receive links in order of how applicable they are to my question.
• You can toggle between search browser and chat to maximize the best of an AI search engine and chatbot in one tool.
• The UI is super easy to follow and learn, which is helpful for someone like me who isn’t always the most patient at learning a completely new version of a tool I already use daily.
• The bonus of Yep’s mission to support high-quality, authentic content makes you feel good about using it as your main AI search engine.
• If you like Yep, you can make it your default browser.

What Needs Improvement

• While I appreciate its simplicity, it could do with a few additional features to create a more well-rounded experience. It’s still in beta mode, so I expect more updates to come, but it’s not yet on par with other options on this list.
• It doesn’t have access to the breadth of information that Google or Bing (or even other search engines on this list) do, since I only received a handful of relevant URLs to both my questions. However, Yep is powered by two web crawlers (YepBot and AhrefsBot), so it has the potential to improve its knowledge base with time.
• The AI chat feature doesn’t cite its sources, which has been something I’ve come to expect based on other search engines on this list.

Pricing

• I couldn’t find information about pricing, which may indicate it only has a free plan (for now).

Where There’s A Will, There’s A(I) Way

As a marketer, I’ve realized the importance of practicing what I preach. I can’t promote a product if I don’t believe in its mission and use it — if applicable. After all, I do work for Nickelodeon and can’t say I consume kids’ television daily.

That’s why it’s important to believe in the efficiency and efficacy of the search engine you’re using, so you can best integrate it into your search engine marketing strategy.

I now see the value of AI search engines, especially Perplexity and You.com, and will absolutely incorporate these into my day-to-day as a user and marketer.

There’s no need to waste precious time explaining your queries and coaxing appropriate responses out of your browser. I was amazed by how easily I received answers to my two test questions on each of the above seven search engines when I usually would have needed to read a few articles to ensure correctness.

For those wary about AI’s impact on society, you can see how beneficial it can be for marketers and users in streamlining our work, weeding out the noise, and creating more meaningful, relevant experiences.

The post The Best AI Search Engines To Try 2024 appeared first on Marketing & Business News.

How to Write Content That Generative AI Search Engines Will Reference

There’s no doubt that in the last few months, you’ve run into Google’s new AI search tool. Often, the tool provides a helpful summary (though sometimes it’s laughably wrong).

While the tools themselves are evolving every day, it seems generative AI search engines aren’t going anywhere. Since Google launched its AI search, it’s already made leaps in relevance and accuracy.

I’m a big fan of not having to scroll through a page of results to find a quick answer, so I’m excited to see how it continues to evolve.

But as a writer, I’m curious to discover what this will mean for the future of digital content. How will this affect the type of work we do, and how will we need to adapt our writing for AI-driven search?

In this article, we’ll explore the insights we already have about writing for generative AI and raise questions we still need answered.

Table of Contents

• • How AI Search Has Changed Content Marketing
  • How to Write for AI Search
  • 7 Helpful Tips on Writing for AI Search

How AI Search Has Changed Content Marketing

1. New Information Retrieval

AI-powered generative engines have majorly shifted how users are retrieving the information they’re searching for.

Instead of providing sources for the user to read, generative engines are providing summaries to answer questions in less time.

Recently, I was trying to plan a movie date with a friend to see A Quiet Place: Day One. She was about to leave on vacation, and I wanted to see if the movie would be in theaters when she got back.

I searched “how long are movies usually in theaters.”

I got an answer without clicking on a single page.

2. Less Spam

Earlier this year, major search engines like Google started cracking down on what they considered spam or unoriginal content — many of which were AI-generated.

AI search engines don’t respond well to spammy content and, instead, are looking for high authority, highly structured articles that the bots can easily scan.

As a result, it seems that quality is above quantity when it comes to what’s most important with your content (though many argue that was already the case).

Let’s talk about one of my favorite examples: recipe blogs.

In the past, if I wanted to find a pad thai recipe through Google, a lengthy article using the phrase “pad thai recipe” dozens of times would rank highest.

I’d scroll through long personal anecdotes I didn’t care about with no tips for actually cooking the dish.

Now, the top recipe is from Recipe Tin.

I still have to scroll before getting to the recipe. However, the content focuses on genuinely helpful tips. Nagi, the writer, discusses what makes pad thai authentic, her brand recommendations for ingredients, and techniques.

This information helps me cook the dish better.

I don’t have to parse through spammy content. I get real tips that I know came from a human.

Image Source

And to clarify: This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use AI to support your content creation. It just means you need to make sure the content is beneficial to readers.

3. Lower Web Traffic

As AI-generated answers start popping up on search engines, websites have seen lower levels of web traffic overall. Top-ranked websites have seen traffic dips as significant as 10%.

This makes sense, given that many users are stopping at the summary instead of proceeding on. This adjustment means the goal of content might not be to rank highly but, instead, to be used by AI and cited in summaries.

I’m not immune to this, even as a content creator. I considered running a half marathon and wanted to see what a training plan might be.

I could Google to see what experts suggest. Instead, I shared a little bit about my skill level and constraints. Then ChatGPT made me a plan.

That was an easy experience that took way less time than searching for an answer.

4. A change in traffic source.

The above point has a bit of nuance. Most content can expect a dip in traffic, but for content that’s highly visible to large language models (LLMs), you could see an increase in engagement by upwards of 40%.

That’s because the goal of writing for AI search is to be cited as a source. When you’re cited in a summary on Google AI Search, users can easily click on your content to learn more.

My HubSpot editor, Kaitln Milliken, recently had her dog spayed and directly benefitted from AI search. She looked up “how do I take care of my dog after she’s spayed.”

“The AI overview had some helpful tips out the gate, but I wanted to learn more,” Milliken says. “I clicked on the articles in the overview first — partially because it was easy, but also because I trusted that these sources had authority.”

5. De-emphasis on SEO.

What makes an article great for search engines is a bit different than what makes an article great for AI bots.

Whereas SEO is focused on keywords, backlinks, and searchability, generative engine optimization (GEO) emphasizes highly structured articles with lots of sources. This guide on GEO can be a helpful resource as you learn the differences.

How to Write for AI Search

Now that you understand the way AI search has changed the content landscape, let’s look at a step-by-step guide for writing for AI search.

I also asked Kaitlin Milliken, who assigned hundreds of articles a year from the HubSpot blog, for her perspective.

Step 1. Find original ideas with high search traffic.

If I’m tasked with writing a blog and I don’t receive a brief, I’ll start by trying to find an original idea around a topic.

In an ideal world, I’d discover a topic with high search traffic and low competition, but often, I settle for making sure that there’s plenty of traffic driven to the topic.

If I receive a brief and the topic isn’t original, I try to find a unique spin on it. Is there a way I can introduce new information here? Can I tie together two topics that haven’t been related to one another before?

Milliken says that today’s search landscape focuses on EEAT, or expertise, experience, authority, and trustworthiness.

While AI can give general best practices, the content that performs best has insight that can only be learned through lived, human experience.

“We know what search terms people want to know, so that’s always on our assignment docket. However, I need the writer to bring a unique, trustworthy perspective to the piece,” she says.

She describes a hypothetical blog post about solving customer service.

“Let’s say you’re the writer and you work in customer service. What’s the de-escalation tip that you use regularly? Then, give me an anecdote about why it works. A bot can’t do that. That’s what readers actually want,” Milliken says.

Step 2. Research, research, research.

Then, I start by digging into research. I’ll focus on finding primary sources with statistics and data that add credibility to my piece.

You can’t always control the ideas you’re writing about, but you can make sure there’s new and fresh information in it to set your article above the rest and provide a comprehensive answer to AI search bots.

“At HubSpot, we’ve noticed that original data from surveys we conduct rank well in our search landscape. We want our writers to use this data plus whatever the latest data online might be. That bolsters trustworthiness, which reads well in AI search,” Milliken says.

Step 3. Organize your content clearly.

The key to writing for AI search is a great structure. When I research first, I can organize my content clearly without having to go back and rewrite.

I’ll start by identifying H2s and then find spots where I can use lists. Often, there are parts of the article that lend themselves to lists, so I take some time to organize the list items before I start writing.

Want an example? Take a look at the article you’re reading. I have subheadings and organized lists throughout.

Step 4. Ask experts.

A significant way to set yourself apart from AI bots that are scanning your content is by including novel, expert information. This is a best practice for SEO, too, and it helps to boost your article’s credibility.

Send some emails to experts asking for their opinions, tips, or advice. Your readers will love hearing directly from folks with deep knowledge of the topic they’re reading about, and AI bots will be more likely to cite your content.

That’s part of the reason I asked Milliken to share her insights for this piece.

Step 5. Use unique and clear language.

Finally, avoid literary clichés and overused words. Instead, focus on straightforward language.

This is an important editing step, too — cut out all the fluff and unnecessary complexity. AI engines favor content that is both unique and easy to understand. Clear messaging makes it easier for them to generate solid summaries.

Step 6. Measure your content’s performance.

HubSpot is making it easy to see how your content is performing with the AI Search Grader microapp. This is one of the first tools on the market that can help you track how your content is performing on AI search engines.

7 Helpful Tips on Writing for AI Search

A lot of AI search best practices are still emerging, but some rules of thumb for AI search writing are becoming clear. Here are seven tips for writing for AI search.

1. Provide comprehensive coverage.

Generative engines prefer content that offers a comprehensive overview and answers potential follow-up questions, so take time to cover topics thoroughly and from multiple angles.

Keep in mind what the AI bot is trying to do — find a way to fully answer the user’s query with a useful and relevant summary. The more comprehensive you are in your content, the easier it is for the AI bot to do its job.

2. Cite your sources.

Credibility seems to be a major determinant of what AI bots are using to fuel their responses, so citing your sources is an absolute must.

Use primary sources and statistics whenever possible, and make sure to include links to where the information came from.

3. Lean on industry experts.

Novel, human information seems to be frequently picked up by AI bots, so be sure to incorporate expert opinions and advice into your content.

Google isn’t penalizing AI-written content, but it is penalizing content that isn’t rich in information. Use the expertise of SMEs to make sure your content stands out to both readers and AI bots.

4. Emphasize scannability.

Structure and scannability seem to be two of the most important factors in whether or not your content is optimized for AI search. That means you need to:

• Incorporate lists whenever possible
• Limit large chunks of text
• Prioritize H2s and H3s that guide the reader through the text

It’s also suspected that AI bots have a few preferred patterns of text. This isn’t verified yet, but I recommend experimenting with various formats and structures.

5. Write conversationally

AI summaries are written conversationally, so it’s helpful to the bot if its original sources are written conversationally, too.

Avoid industry jargon whenever possible and keep your writing to a 7th-grade reading level in most cases. You want your content to be easy to read for both your users and AI bots.

Leigh McKenzie, an SEO expert, shares his insights on this tip.

“Writing in a more conversational manner is becoming increasingly valuable. In an era where automated content can often sound robotic, we crave authenticity,” McKenzie says.

“Content that includes anecdotes, personal statements, and real-life problem-solving resonates more with readers, and I believe we will see a continued shift towards this style.”

6. Use AI writing tools

Writing tools can help you reach greater visibility through SEO and GEO.

Tracking your metrics can show you if your content is being used by generating engines, and microapps can suggest improvements for search engine visibility and even grade GEO.

7. Keep up to date on AI search information

AI search best practices are constantly evolving. While these recommendations are emerging as ways to improve your AI search performance, it’s best to keep an eye on AI search engine updates.

McKenzie stats that keeping up with new information on AI search is incredibly important when it comes to keeping your digital content up-to-date.

“From my experience, the biggest takeaway in navigating the generative SEO landscape is the importance of adaptability. SEO is not static, and being flexible and open to new strategies is crucial for success,” McKenzie says.

Writing for Bots and for Humans

Whenever there’s a shift in the digital content landscape, I get excited. I love learning new things and, with something as game-changing as AI, there’s a lot to discover.

Test formats. Play with expert quotes. Use different kinds of structures. Now’s the time to get really creative and see what works.

AI changes so much every day, so I’m excited to see how digital content changes in the next year or two. Will we still be using SERPs? Will we only be searching through AI engines?

I’m not sure — but I’m excited to see what happens.

The post Crafting Content That AI Search Engines Will Cite appeared first on Marketing & Business News.

How to Optimize Your Blog for SEO Without Losing Reader Interest

I’ve written hundreds of blogs as a content marketer, but I’m still susceptible to the amateur mistake of thinking about writing for SEO only after a blog is already written.

However, I’ve found that it’s a lot easier to think of SEO as the bookends of your blog and to let it inform what you should write as well as optimize when you’re done.

In fact, whenever I’ve consulted my SEO marketing software before writing a blog, it’s given me insight into what questions my audience is asking, how I can simplify things, and what kind of outline I should follow. SEO content writing doesn’t need to be boring or feel like it was written by a robot, either.

Read further to get tips on how to incorporate SEO in your blog writing while still creating interesting, useful content.

Table of Contents

• • Why is SEO content writing important?
  • The Basics of SEO Content Writing
  • Tips on How To Incorporate SEO in Your Writing

Why is SEO content writing important?

Without SEO, your content is less likely to rank highly on search engines. Ranking lower may hinder your ability to attract and engage with your target audience. It may also make your content seem less credible and authoritative.

A 2024 First Page Sage study found that the clickthrough rate for websites in position one on the SERP is 39.8%. This number drops drastically to 18.7% for websites in position two and then down to 1.6% for websites in position 10. When you get to page two of Google, that number gets even lower.

This means that if your website is not on the first page, there’s a small chance consumers will find your website organically. Fewer visits to your site mean fewer opportunities to generate leads and, ultimately, revenue.

Your next best option is investing in advertising to get those users to your site. But that costs money, and if you’re on a tight budget, why not invest time in SEO writing? It’s free and will likely bring you traffic for much longer than a campaign would.

SEO also addresses the top five issues that marketers currently face (see pictured below). By doing sufficient SEO research, you should be able to generate new ideas for your blogs, increase engagement, attract traffic, reach your audience, and generate leads.

Image Source

The Basics of SEO Content Writing

When getting started with SEO content writing, it’s important to understand the basics. Here are some fundamental principles to follow when incorporating SEO into your writing.

Keyword Optimization

Keyword optimization is all about strategically using relevant keywords and phrases in your content to boost its visibility and ranking.

This aspect of SEO is super important because it helps search engines better understand your content, thereby increasing the chances of it appearing in relevant search queries and attracting organic traffic.

To select the best keywords, you’ll need to research and identify what exactly your target audience is looking for and align it with your content’s topic. Finding the right balance between incorporating keywords in a way that makes sense to readers and satisfies search engine algorithms is key.

I’ll go more in-depth about how to find keywords and how to disperse them throughout your content in the tips section.

User Intent

User intent refers to the motivation or purpose behind a user’s search query. It’s all about figuring out what they really want to discover when typing something into a search engine.

There are generally four types of user intent:

• Informational intent. When someone is seeking information or answers to their questions. They may be looking for definitions, explanations, how-to guides, or research materials.
• Navigational intent. When someone is searching for a specific website or brand. They already know what they want to find and are using a search engine to navigate to a particular webpage.
• Transactional intent. When someone is ready to take action, such as making a purchase, subscribing to a service, or booking an appointment.
• Commercial intent. When someone is researching products or services with the intention to buy later. They are comparing products, reading reviews, and looking for the best deals before making a decision.

By understanding user intent, you can create content that aligns with what people are looking for and boost your chances of showing up in search results. Each industry and niche also changes your user intent.

For example, SEO for lawyers will be a lot different compared to SEO for marketers. It’s all about giving people what they need and providing them with a good search experience.

Readability

Writing for SEO isn’t just about what you write. It’s also about how you write. It isn’t enough to just place keywords into your content and call it a day. You need to consider how your audience’s experience will be when they read it.

This is where readability comes in.

Readability is all about striking the right balance between optimizing for search engines and ensuring that your content is enjoyable and valuable to human readers.

In addition to optimizing your content with keywords and internal links, you’ll want to focus on user experience. Write in a reader-friendly manner by using clear and concise language and avoiding jargon. You’ll also want to utilize headings and make your content more scannable (more on that below).

When writing and editing your content, ask yourself: Is this easy to understand? Does this have a logical flow? Is this engaging? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” you may need to make some changes.

Historical Optimization

Every SEO writer knows that an evergreen blog post will never be completely finished, even after it’s been published. Thanks to algorithm updates and competitors targeting the same keywords, search results are always changing.

That’s why it’s important to have a content update strategy in place to ensure your older web content remains fresh and relevant in search engine rankings. This practice is called historical optimization.

To figure out which blog posts you need to update, assess your older content by conducting a content audit to find underperforming or outdated pieces. Then, determine how to improve the piece.

This usually involves refreshing the content by adding new information, removing outdated information, optimizing keywords, and improving formatting and readability.

1. Start with keyword research.

It’s estimated that Google processes over 70,000 search queries a second. Staggering, right?

If you want to cut through SERP clutter and outrank your competitors, you need to target the specific keywords and phrases your potential customers are searching for. Otherwise, how else will they find your content and website?

Start with a keyword research tool. Sites like Ahrefs and Google Keyword Planner give you details on what users are searching for and how popular those queries are.

For an inside look into how Ahrefs can aid you in your SEO keyword research and beyond, check out our case study and exclusive interview here.

Google Trends can also give you a feel for what keywords are popular at any given time. If you see searches steadily declining over time for a specific keyword, you know that’s probably not the right keyword to target for your marketing. The opposite is true for rising trends.

If you’re ever running low on keyword ideas, get inspiration from your competition. Use competitive intelligence tools to see what keywords their domains currently rank for. If these keywords are relevant to your business, consider using them too.

However, keep in mind that the most obvious keywords don’t always align with your strategy. Additionally, your focus keywords will evolve over time as trends shift, terminology changes, or your product/service line grows.

Be sure to conduct keyword research periodically to ensure you’re still focusing on the right keywords for your target audience and not missing out on vital ranking opportunities.

2. Use headings to your benefit.

Headers help Google’s web crawlers understand your blog post and the sections within it.

Think of the crawlers as readers who are skimming your blog. They want an overview of what your article will cover. That’s your H1. Then, your H2s, H3s, and H4s break down the subtopics within the piece.

So, your subheaders should reflect the content in the body and include high-intent keywords. When you use the right keywords, meaning the ones your target audience is using, you have a much higher chance of ranking on the SERP.

3. Optimize your content for featured snippets.

Featured snippets on Google are the most direct answers to search queries. For instance, if I were to search, “How do you write a blog post?” Google might use a featured snippet to show the best answer.

To earn a featured snippet on Google, you’ll need to answer the question thoroughly and succinctly.

For instance, if the search term is “How to screenshot on Mac,” you can put “How to Take a Screenshot on a MacBook Computer” as your H1 or H2, followed by the steps in a numbered or bulleted list.

Once you’ve done that, be sure to include part of the question in your answer. Using the example above, you would start the paragraph with the following: “To take a screenshot on your MacBook, here are the steps…”

Additionally, start each sentence with an actionable verb, like “click” and “select.”

If the keyword for which you want to capture the featured snippet requires a definition, write an answer that’s no more than 58 words.

4. Write for humans, not search engines.

With all these SEO guidelines, it can be easy to forget that when a user searches on Google, they are looking for an answer. The best way for you to improve your chances of ranking is by writing high-quality blog posts.

What does that look like? Thorough answers, scannable sections, organized subheaders, and visual aids.

Keep your buyer personas, their motivations, challenges, and interests in mind. It’s also important to choose topics that will resonate with your potential customers and address their pain points.

While some SEO tools can help on the technical side of your site, you can also opt to use content writing SEO tools to help you write correct, concise, and human-friendly content that will rank well and engage readers.

Different tools also measure content engagement, allowing you to see how long people are spending on a page, whether or not they’re visiting multiple pages, or how far people are scrolling down your site.

Pro tip: Writing can be difficult when keeping all of these variables in mind. One way to simplify the process is to organize your main thoughts. Then, use them as a prompt for an AI tool, like HubSpot’s free AI blog writer.

You can then go through that draft and add the personal touches and optimizations that make it fun for humans to read.

5. Optimize your title.

Even with a great, SEO-friendly post body, a bad headline could hurt you in the SERP.

To title your post with SEO in mind, write something compelling that also incorporates your main keyword. Here are a few tips:

• Incorporate numbers. (“5 Ways to Rock a Matte Lipstick.”)
• Include your offer in the title. (“How to Write a Cover Letter [+ Free Template]”)
• Add a teaser. (“We Tried the New [Insert App Name] App: Here’s What Happened”)

Check out this blog on SEO to gather more ideas on title optimization.

6. Include keywords in your meta description.

Are you adding meta descriptions to your post? If your answer is “no,” then you‘re probably not getting as much traffic as you could. Let’s get into why they’re important.

By now, we‘ve talked about a couple of the ways a blog post can communicate with Google: subheaders, keywords, and snippets. However, that’s not an exhaustive list.

Meta descriptions are another area Google crawls to determine search rankings. Meta descriptions are the one- to three-sentence descriptions you’ll find underneath the title of a result.

Use meta descriptions to sum up what your post is about, and remember to:

• Keep it short.
• Use one to two keywords.
• Make it compelling. After all, there are going to be other posts similar to yours so you’ll want your description to stand above the rest.

Most content management systems (CMS) have meta description boxes built-in, so you likely won’t have to look far to use the function.

7. Answer the questions no one else will

In his bestselling book “They Ask, You Answer,” Content Marketer Marcus Sheridan and Inbound speaker explains that answering avoided questions is “an approach to communication, company culture, and the way we sell as a business.

It starts with an obsession: “What is my customer thinking?” And when I say “obsession,” I really mean that. It extends past “What are they thinking?” to “What are they searching, asking, feeling, and fearing?” Some companies think they understand these questions, but the fact is most do not.”

These “taboo” questions might be pricing, how much your product costs, industry tips, and secrets no one wants to get out, or basically anything that your industry is avoiding writing about. The benefit to answering these kinds of questions is they are untapped SEO opportunities.

I saw this in real time on a client’s website, which I helped with. The company didn’t want to discuss how much their service costs in case competitors decided to underbid them. I pushed the idea of a pricing calculator instead — to let people put in their information and what they’re looking for to get a price range.

Their quote requests skyrocketed. No competitor was willing to even give a price range on services, so my client generated SEO traffic to capture new leads.

Consider writing an entire blog that addresses a topic your industry doesn’t want customers to know about to see what kind of traffic you can generate.

8. Resist the urge to keyword stuff.

The goal is to make your page fully optimized, not overbearing. Find natural fits for keyword additions, but don’t force them to the point where your content is illegible.

For example, if your keywords are “account-based marketing,” “startups,” and “sales,” avoid a meta description like this: “Sales for account-based marketing startups.”

Instead, try focusing on one or two keywords to make the description more natural: “Are you looking for killer strategies to boost your account-based marketing game? Discover our research-backed techniques in this post.”

With this approach, you‘re still using keywords, but you’re not oversaturating the post. Remember, your goal is to solve for your audience. If your users have a poor reading experience, that will signal to Google that your post may not be meeting their needs.

9. Link to high-authority websites.

As you build out your blog post, don’t be afraid to link externally.

Linking to reputable websites not only offers blog readers additional reading material to expand their knowledge, but it also shows search engines that you’ve done your research.

Nothing strengthens a blog post like research-backed statistics from influential websites. Compelling stats help you build a more convincing and concrete argument that will help you gain trust from your readers.

10. Aim for scannable, longer posts.

In an age of short attention spans, you would think shorter blog posts are the way to go. But in fact, search engines like Google actually prefer longer, in-depth blog posts.

Think about it: the more content on the page, the more clues search engines have to figure out what your blog is about. At HubSpot, we’ve found that the ideal length is between 2,100 and 2,400 words.

The downside to longer blogs is that they may overwhelm your readers. One way to combat that is by breaking down your content into bite-size, scannable chunks.

Don’t forget about bullet points – they’re great attention grabbers and easily digestible, especially on mobile devices.

Turn a long-winded sentence into two and keep your paragraphs to three sentences or less.

Pro tip: Need help fine-tuning? Check out Hubspot’s AI Paragraph Rewriter tool for effortless refinement.

11. Link to other posts on your site.

Linking to other pages or blog posts on your website helps search engines create an accurate sitemap. It also helps your audience discover more of your content and get to know you as a trustworthy, credible source of information.

On the user side, Internal links to other valuable content keep readers on your site longer, reducing bounce rate and increasing your potential for a conversion. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

When linking to any pages on your website or even outside sources, use natural language for your anchor text. Avoid using spammy or generic calls to action, such as “top-rated cheap laptops” or “click here.”

Instead, use descriptive keywords that give readers a sense of what they will find when they click on the hyperlink, like “Download your SEO guide.”

Never force-feed links to your top web pages, featured products, or discounted items. Include links that enhance the points made in your posts and naturally tie in with the subject matter.

12. Avoid AI-generated blogs and content.

It’s no secret that AI has come a long way, and that means more and more blogs are generating entire blogs written by artificial intelligence.

However, AI is not so advanced that both humans and search engines can’t identify a blog written by AI. This means that AI-generated content is getting flagged by search engines and hurting your SEO.

Instead of having AI generate entire blogs for you, instead use AI as a tool to speed up your creation process and to check for SEO. For example, you can have AI create an outline for you based on search engine results so you have a starting point for your writing.

You can also ask for SEO assistance by inputting content you’ve written and asking AI tools to check it for optimization.

I wouldn’t let any AI tool be your sole SEO checker because you will definitely still want a human touch, but it can be a great place to begin optimizing. Check out this list of AI SEO tools to get started.

13. Feature a FAQ section in your blog

Search engines reward content that gives them direct, easy-to-identify answers to frequently asked questions.

For example, Google has a “Quick Answers” section at the top of their page that will link to blogs with authority that are answering questions. A great way to take advantage of this in your blog is by clearly posing questions with the answers right underneath.

Remember, you want to answer concisely and optimize questions for SEO as well. Adding FAQ sections can also be an easy way to refresh an old blog and update it to improve SEO.

Get Started with SEO Writing

There are a lot of tips and tricks to optimize your blog to get better SEO results.

Still, SEO can be overwhelming for a lot of content writers and small businesses because it’s more of a marathon than a sprint.

Consistently putting out helpful, authoritative blogs that are fully optimized is your best bet for making the first page.

One thing I love about SEO is that it’s an algorithm, so it’s fair to everyone. If you follow the rules, there’s no reason why your blog shouldn’t perform exceptionally well.

Remember, SEO criteria are an ever-changing beast, what works one year will not work the next.

Subscribe to HubSpot’s Marketing blog to get the latest information about what Google and other search engines are requiring to make the first page.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

The post Master SEO Content Writing: Strategies For Ranking & Engagement appeared first on Marketing & Business News.